The Elder Care Firm July 2017

Plan. Protect. Preserve.

OFFICES: Brighton | Bloomfield Hills | Livonia | Novi

WAY MORE THAN FIREWORKS The Meaning of Independence

I have to admit something. I was terrified of loud noises as a child. The annual Fourth of July fireworks show scared me senseless. I loved watching the explosions, but the bangs sent a shiver up my spine. I remember going to the Oakland Community College Independence Day celebration with my parents, who would lay out a blanket on the lawn for the festivities. I must not have been very old when my parents realized they needed a solution to keep me from going berserk. Always ingenious, they realized that if they plugged my ears, the Fourth of July would turn from terror to delight. It worked like a charm. Luckily, I didn’t pass on my fear of loud noises to our kids. Every year, we head out to the lake to barbecue, watch the parade, and view the spectacular fireworks display. Our kids certainly aren’t old enough to have fireworks of their own, but we let them play with some sparklers. It’s quickly becoming a Berry family tradition, one we hope to keep up for years to come.

Of course, the Fourth of July isn’t just about food and fireworks. It’s also about celebrating our independence as a nation. Every year, as the Fourth of July rolls around, I can’t help but think about how much independence matters, not just in terms of politics, but in terms of our personal lives, as well. Our firm aims to preserve your independence throughout the second half of your life. The ability to make your own decisions may seem like a given, but it’s not guaranteed. Without proper planning, you can end up having no control over major decisions in your later years. When it comes to how you want to spend the latter part of your life, I’ve always advocated freedom of choice. The more choices you have, the better those choices tend to be. The last thing you want is to leave these choices up to an external source. Independence doesn’t have to mean living on your own, but it does mean electing how you want to spend your time on your own terms.

We set up a personal care plan for many of our clients. This legal document dictates your personal do’s and don’ts for care, including big issues like the type of care you want to receive and small details like the foods you want to eat. With a safeguarded personal care plan, you’ll never have to leave these details up to chance. It’s your life, and you should control how it plays out rather than a representative from an insurance company or Medicare. Taking the time to hash out a care plan will ensure your independence. When we broke away from Britain in 1776, it was so we could decide the fate of our nation without influence from a foreign power. You deserve the same control over your destiny that our Founding Fathers sought for America. I want to wish everyone a happy Fourth of July and remind you to not take your independence for granted. – Christopher J. Berry